Calculating-machine.



l No. 882,567. PATENTED MAR. 24, 1908.

W. L. E. KEUFFEL. GALGULATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.13,1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

uf @26% Hu No.-882,567. PATENTED MAR.v 24,1908.

GALCULATING MACHINE. APPLIOATION FILED m2o-.13,1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIE L. E. KEUFFEL, OF HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE KEUFFEL & ESSER COMPANY, OF HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

CALCULATING-MACHINE To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIE L. E. KEUFFEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hoboken, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Calculating-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

There has long been upon the market a calculating machine (substantially the same as that described in the French patent to one Thomas, 138,912, Sep. 20, 1880, lll Series, Vol. 35, c, 12, 5 p. 28, Pl. 8) upon which the o erations of addition, subtraction, multip ication and division could be performed, and which comprises, briefly, a series of rotatable barrels geared to a main shaft which is actuated by a manually operated handle projecting upward from` the face of the machine. It also comprises a slotted plate provided with numeral slides or indicators, whereby the multiplicand or divisor, as the case may be, may be set up to determine the position of the numeral Wheel barrels beneath this plate. It also comprises a multiplying or dividing plate, underneath which is arranged a series of numeral gears designed to meshwith and be actuated by beveled wheels mounted upon the shafts of the barrels above referred to.

In the accompanying drawing, in which I have illustrated a machine with my improvements embodied therein, Figure 1 is a top plan view showing the clutch and locking mechanism. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same. plane of the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the clutch barrel with the operating lever removed. Fig. 5 is a section on the plane of the line 5-5 in Fig. 1, looking toward the left. Fig. 6 is a section on the plane of the line 6 6 in Fig. 1, looking toward the right.

I will frst describe in general terms and briefly the construction and operation of the machine as heretofore existing.

Referring specifically to the drawings, 10 indicates the top plate of the stationary case of the machine shown only in dotted outline, and 20 the top plate of the sliding carriage, hereinafter referred to as the stationary plate and sliding plate respectively. The sliding plateis hinged at 21, Fig. 6, so that it can be lifted at its front'edge as hereinafter set forth.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 13, 1904.

Fig. 8 is a transverse section on thel Patented March 24, 1908.l

Serial No. 236,661.

1n the stationary plate are any desired number of graduated slots, according to the capacity of the machine, numbered 101, 102, 103 & etc. from right to left, in each of which is fitted to slide a key or pin as at 111, 112, 113 etc. Beneath this stationary plate is a series of rotatable barrels (not shown) rotated from a main shaft 120 by bevel gearing 121, (shown in dotted lines). This shaft has heretofore been rotated by hand by means of a crank handle 122 preferably removably securable to a vertical shaft 123 connected thereto by bevel gearing 124.

As before stated in the brief description of the machine, the rotatable barrels in the operation of the machine are consecutively brought into gear by sliding the carriage with numeral wheels 201, 202, 208 etc. showing throughthe sight holes 22 in the top of the sliding plate, which wheels serve to actuate another row of numeral wheels 211, 212, 213 etc. showing through sight holes 23 in the sliding plate.

The pins in the graduated slots are moved along in the slots in the stationary plate 10 to set up the multiplicand or divisor, but for ready reference herein these pins and slots will be denominated multiplicand keys and multiplieand slots, respectively. Having set the multiplicand key to indicate say, as for instance 824 as in Fig. 1, and it being desired to multiply that numberby say 237 on the machine as formerly constructed the sliding plate being in its primary or normal position as shown in Fig. 1, the crank handle was turned the number of times indicated by the units digit of the multiplier. During this operation the multiplier wheel 201 was turned to show 7 and the product wheels 211 212, 213 and 214 were turned to show 2268 which is the product of 324 multiplied by 7. Then the carriage and sliding plate 20 were lifted on the hinge 21 to disengage their numeral wheels from the barrels under the plate 10, moved to the right and again lowered into position. Then the crank handle was turned three times to operate the mechanism necessary to multiply by the tens of the multiplier. During this turning the multiplier wheel 202 was turned to 3, the wheel 201 remaining at 7, and the product wheels 211, 212, 218 and 214 were turned to show 11988, the product of 324 multiplied by 37. Then the carriage and sliding plate was again raised, moved another step to the right, and

again dropped to position to multiply by the hundreds digit (2). By now turning` the crank handle two revolutions the multiplier wheel 203 was turned to 2, the wheels 202 and 201 remaining at 3 and T respectively, and the product wheels 211, 212, 213, 21-1 and 215 were turned to show 76788 (as seen in Fig. 1) the product of S32-l multiplied by 237.

From the foregoing it will be observed that with the old machine it was necessary to turn the crank handle by hand a number of times equal to the sum of the several digits of the multiplier, which, vwhere the capacity of the machine was nine digits, might be nine times nine or eighty one times, such operations being very laborious and consuming much time. lt will be further noticed that in the old machine, there was nothing but the weight of the sliding carriage to maintain the gearing of the barrels in engagement -with those of the numeral wheels on the carriage while the operations were being performed, and that there was great liability of the machine making mistakes by skipping teeth while being operated.

The purpose of my invention is two-fold: iirst, to relieve the operator of the fatiguing manual labor required to operate the handle referred to, which in the course of a day must be turned many thousands of times; and second, to so lock the sliding plate (the position of which determines the connection between the mechanism of the multiplicand and multiplier while the actuating mechanism is in operation) that no lateral movement is possible and therefore the skipping of teeth is impossible, and that no injury to the operating parts can occur by reason of the moving elements being brought into contact with parts which they are not intended to meet.

My invention consists-.lirstvin providing the machine with a motor designed to rotate a shaft, and l provide a clutch mechanism by means of which this operating shaft can be thrown, when desired, into engagement with the actuating mechanism of the machine so that the period of time during which the clutch is held in engagement with the motor shaft will correspond to the period of time formerly taken up by the operator in rotating the handle, and instead of the operator being compelled to turn the handle, he simply holds a stop key while the motor turns the mechanism a proper number of times, the ear of the operator being trained to listen to the rotation of the parts and to determine when this proper number of times has occurred.

The second part of my invention comprises the means by which the parts are locked together, and consists of a cam geared to the clutch actuating mechanism and controlling the directing bar, so that when the parts of the two systems of numeral wheels are in operative position they are locked by means of the registration of the locking` bars, due to the rotation of the cam, to a proper position.

Again referring specifically to the drawing, 30 is a short shaft ournaled under the stationary plate, connected with the main shaft of the machine by gearing 31 and provided with a locking disk 32 having a notch 33 in its periphery, which, when the machine is in a state of rest, and when an operation of a single digit is completed, receives a pawl 43 pivotally mounted on a pin 40 and operable by means of a key 41 actuated by a spring 42 to normally hold the pa-wl 43 in the notch 33. It being necessary that the machine should stop at the end of the operation of a digit, the pawl 43 enters the notch 35 at the end of each operation of a digit, neither before nor after, so that to complete an operation of a single digit, it is only necessary to press the key to start the mechanism and then take the finger olf the key, the machine being stopped when the operation is completed by the p awl entering the notch.

50 indicates a clutch shaft parallel with the main shaft, suitably ournaled in bearings 51 under the stationary plate and arranged to be rotated in one direction by a suitable motor. rhis shaft carries the stationary member 54C of a. clutch, the movable member 341 of which is mounted to slide upon the shaft 30 and is engaged by a pivoted yoke L14 also mounted on the pin Ll0 and operated by the same key Ll1 which operates the locking pawl 43, being consequently normally held out of engagement by the same spring L1:2.

The clutch shaft may be connected up with the motor (not shown) through the medium of any suitable gearing such for instance as that shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 5, in which one of the gear wheels (90) (see Fig. 5) may be provided with any suitable means, such as a pawl 91, spring 92 and ratchet wheel 93, for permitting of the driving of the mechanism of the machine in one direction only, such gearing from the motor forming no essential part of this invention.

Upon the upright handle shaft 123 is mounted a disk 60 having in its upper face a cam groove 61 ruiming in a curve concentric with the shaft for the greater part of its extent but having a substantially straight portion 62 on one side. In this groove engages a pin 63 depending from a bolt Get mounted transversely and slidably under the stationary plate in suitable brackets, in line with the sockets 71, 72, 73 etc. in the edge of the sliding plate 20. Where the length of the plate would seem to require it, a second locking bolt S0 with a pin 81 and a cam disk 82 having a groove S3 on an upright shaft 8-1 geared to the main shaft, may be provided.

The crank handle being removed, the motor shaft and clutch shaft being set in rotation and the inultiplicand being set up as A before described, in performing the example above referred to, the operator presses down the key 4l thus releasing the pawl 4&3 from the notch 32 and moving the member 34 of the clutch into engagement with the stationary member 54 thereof, thereby communicating the rotation of the clutch shaft to the shaft 30 and through the gearing 3l to the main shaft and setting the machine in operation. He simply holds the key down until the seven revolutions have been made. This hecan detect by listening to the noise made by the machine or observing the movement of the multiplier wheels. He then releases the key, shifts the sliding plate, again depresses the key, holds it until three revolutions have been made, again releases it, shifts the sliding plate and again depresses the key, holds it down until two revolutions have been made and finally releases the key with the operation completed.

It is not absolutely necessary to arrange the mechanism so that the motor shaft and clutch shaft be set in rotation before the starting key is depressed as the key inight be first depressed and the motor started afterward. lf desired, when an electric motor is used, a contact could be arranged under the key 41 so that the motor would. be started by the depression of the key.

When the machine is at rest, the locking bolt 64 is disengaged from the sockets 71 etc. of the sliding plate, the pin 63 resting in the straight portion 62 of the cam groove 61, as shown in Figs. l. and 6, but, as soon as each revolution begins, the pin passes into the circular portion of the cam groove and the bolt is thus thrust into a socket where it remains until the revolution is substantially completed when it is again withdrawn by the pin again passing into the straight portion of the cam groove, the locked position of these parts of the machine being shown in Fig. 7. By this means the sliding carriage and plate are locked down so as to absolutely assure the engagement of their mechanism with that of the barrels, and released at the end of each revolution to allow the sliding carriage and plate to be raised and shifted.

While the mechanism for operating the locking bar is shown in the form of a camgrooved disk, it will be obvious that other forms of cams might be used, if so desired, without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

That I claim as new is 1. The combination in a machine of the character described, of a main shaft, a motor-driven shaft, an idler extension of the motor-driven shaft geared with the main shaft, a clutch connecting the motor-driven shaft with its extension, a pivoted yoke for operating the clutch, a manual key secured to the yoke, and means, carried by the yoke and operated simultaneously therewith for locking the extension against rotation While disengaged from the motor-driven shaft, and releasing it from such locking when connected with said shaft.

2. The combination in a machine of the character described, of a stationary portion, a carriage slidable with relation thereto, a main shaft, means for locking the carriage, `and means operated automatically for actuating the locking means into engagement with the carriage during each revolution of the main shaft and releasing it at the end of each revolution.

3. The combination in a machine of the character described of a stationary portion, a slidable carriage, a main shaft, a second shaft driven from the main shaft, a locking bar, and a cam on the second shaft for operating the locking bar to engage it with and disengage it from the carriage once during each revolution of the main shaft.

4. The combination in a machine of the character described, of a stationary portion, a sliding carriage having a series of recesses in the edge thereof, a main shaft, and a locking bar actuated by the operation of the ma-.

chine to engage in said recesses seriali/im as the carriage progresses during each operation.

5. The combination in a machine of the character described, of a stationary portion, a sliding carriage having a series of recesses in the edge thereof, a main shaft, and a locking bar actuated by the operation of the rn achine to enter into and recede from one of said recesses during each revolution of the main shaft.

6. The combination in a machine of the character described., of a stationary portion, a slidable carriage having a top provided with a series of recesses in its edge, a main shaft, a second shaft geared thereto, a locking bar adapted to engage in said recesses serictim as the carriage progresses during an operation, and a cam carried by the second shaft for operating said locking bar.

In testimony whereof I my signature in presence of two witnesses.

VILLIE L. E. KEUFFEL.

lVitnesses 1 HERMAN MEYER, ALAN MoDoNNELL. 

